Deals & Discounts

TrueCar’s Steals on Wheels: August 29 to September 4, 2012 — Labor Day Shopping Edition

August 29, 2012

The Labor Day holiday has traditionally been a great time for new-car shopping, with dealerships nationwide taking advantage of the three-day weekend as one of the last great new-car sale weekends until Thanksgiving.

As the new-car shopper’s resource for researching new car pricing, TrueCar.com has got the info you need to help you find a great buy. To help with your new-car search, each week we share five of the very best car prices we can find to help new-car shoppers find the best deal on their next new car. This week, we’re focusing on great discounts available on a variety of body styles over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

It doesn’t matter where you live, our weekly “Steals on Wheels” deals are available nationwide and demonstrate potential savings on new cars based on the possible discount from the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). These steals may feature manufacturer’s rebates and cash incentives, or may also include special leasing offers, depending on what our data shows to be the greatest opportunities for savings for new car shoppers in the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

This week’s deals offer something for every new-car shopper’s needs, with potential savings ranging from 5.9% to 16.2%. Market average pricing on these affordable delights demonstrates a range of discounts off Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Pricing (MSRP) equaling as much as $4,132 off these popular vehicle choices.

Our chart also includes fuel economy figures to help you compare not just savings at the dealership but savings at the pump, as well. Note: There’s a broad assortment of body styles in this week’s selection, so you’ll notice their fuel economy figures are more diverse, ranging from 23 to 39 highway miles per gallon. However, keeping these figures in mind might help you choose between two vehicles in other sizes one step up or down.

1) The best potential deal on this week’s list of Labor Day deals is the Chrysler 200. Boasting the largest discount among this week’s selection, the Chrysler 200 offers a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $25,535, but its TrueCar national market average is $4,132 lower at $21,403; that’s a potential savings of 16.2% off the suggested MSRP of Chrysler’s popular four-door sedan. The Chrysler 200 sedan offers a choice of 173-horsepower/2.4-liter inline four cylinder or 283-horsepower/3.6-liter V-6 engines, mated to either a four- or six-speed transmission. These options allow the buyer to choose between frugal fuel economy or more perky power regardless of whether they’re commuting to work or taking a weekend road trip adventure.

2) The Ford Escape comes in second place in this week’s list, offering a potential discount of up to 13.3 percent. That translates into a possible savings of as much as $3,610, bringing the MSRP of Ford’s crossover sport/utility vehicle from $27,195 down to a market average price of $23,585. Fuel economy for this conveniently sized crossover is rated at 21 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 24.3 mpg combined.

3) The Ford F-150 pickup truck rides in the middle of the pack this week: Even though the Ford’s original MSRP starts at $31,800, the F-150’s potential savings of 11.5 percent translates to $3,657 — bringing the national market average price of Ford’s functional pickup truck to $28,143. Ford’s F-150 full-size pickup truck boasts best-in-class towing and a variety of trim and powertrain options to allow buyers to configure cab, bed, and engine to suit their specific comfort, cargo, and performance needs.

4) In fourth place is the Toyota Camry, sporting a national market average price of $23,301 and a potential discount of 7.1 percent, or $1,714 off the $24,015 MSRP of Toyota’s familiar midsize sedan. Passengers will appreciate Entune connectivity that allows access to popular mobile apps and data services like Bing for search, Pandora for music, movietickets.com for entertainment, and OpenTable for restaurant reservations. Toyota’s reinvented Camry promises fuel economy of 25 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 29.7 mpg combined.

5) The last, smallest, and least expensive Steal this week is the Honda Civic sedan. TrueCar data shows a potential 5.9 percent discount off the $21,445 MSRP, equaling a potential savings of $1,267 and a market average of $20,178 for Honda’s sporty small car. As would be expected, fuel economy is also the best on this list, coming in at 28 mpg city, 39 mpg highway, and 33.1 mpg combined.

TrueCar’s Steals on Wheels: August 29 to September 4, 2012 – Labor Day Edition

*Market Average is estimated based on the national average of recent vehicle transactions, including destination and delivery charges after incentives that are subject to change, but does not include tax, title, licensing, documentation or processing fees, other state and governmental charges and/or fees, or any other charges or fees allowed by law. **Percent Savings is rounded to the nearest tenth.

If you’re planning to go car shopping this weekend, keep these inexpensive sedans in mind as you do your research. Last week’s edition of “Steals on Wheels” provided the best deals on affordable cars priced below $15,000, so if you had your eye on one of those bargains, keep on shopping, as many of those deals may still be available in the upcoming week at a TrueCar Certified Dealership near you.

Ready To Go Shopping for a New Car?

Our weekly “Steals on Wheels” feature demonstrates potential savings on new cars based on the possible discount from the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). Keep in mind, each week’s “Steals on Wheels” choices may include potential savings from such special offers as manufacturer’s rebates, cash incentives, or special leasing offers, which helps place them among the greatest opportunities for savings for new car shoppers over the upcoming weekend. As always, here are some really important things to keep in mind, such as:

• Incentives and leasing programs are subject to change and should be confirmed with your dealer.
• Deals are limited to inventory on hand. Your TrueCar Certified Dealer must confirm that actual inventory, including your preferred options and colors, is in stock.
• “Market Average” is based on the national average of recent vehicle transactions, including destination and delivery charges after incentives that are subject to change, but does not include tax, title, licensing, documentation or processing fees, other state and governmental charges and/or fees, or any other charges or fees allowed by law. This is a national average, so you might find better pricing based on sales in your local area at TrueCar.com. Be sure to visit TrueCar.com to view local pricing on any car and to be connected with your local TrueCar Certified Dealer who will provide you pricing information for the vehicle you are researching.
• We highlight the top discounts (this week on affordable cars under $15,000) off the MSRP by the particular trim level, since potential discounts can vary greatly between the trim levels. So for this week, the “EX” trim of the Honda Civic (for example), was the most highly discounted trim of the entire Honda Civic lineup in relation to its MSRP, and was a high enough discount to make our list.

Once you’ve chosen your desired vehicle, why not connect with one of TrueCar’s Certified Dealers to ensure a fast and convenient car-buying experience?